A pioneering dairy farmer is among only three shortlisted for a prestigious industry award.
Jenny Lee, of Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy near Wigton, has been named in the Dairy Industry Woman of the Year award.
Along with her husband Mark the couple have become well known for adapting the way they farm, changing from intensive to regenerative farming.
In 2017, inspired after witnessing their herd’s reaction to an area of land which had not been treated, they decided to stop using all chemical fertiliser, pesticide and herbicides. Three years later the farm had converted to full organic status.
Everything the herd eat is grown at Park House Farm, either directly from the pasture or harvested as straw or sileage for consumption during the winter months.
So-called ‘mob grazing’ farming allows the use of one paddock a day every 28 days in rotation enabling plants and soil to rest and grow before the herd graze again.
The cattle naturally fertilise the paddock and, the more they graze, the quicker it grows. A flock of free-range chickens has been introduced to follow the cows through the pastures to mimic the natural process of birds and large herbivores working in harmony to build soil.
The transformation also led to the creation of Torpenhow Cheese and Three Hills Gelato along the way.
In 2023 Park House Farm shared their journey with over 1,000 farmers by hosting the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Down to Earth North event.
The British farmer-owned dairy co-operative First Milk nominated Jenny for the award which will be presented at the 2024 Women in Dairy conference in September.
